


The Elites

by Kiatheinsomniac



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Boarding School AU, Highschool AU, Modern AU, Multi, Secrets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:54:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25361242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiatheinsomniac/pseuds/Kiatheinsomniac
Summary: It was all a very sudden decision -  moving to Vermere Lake Grammar School. It was presented like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A boarding school for promising and gifted students with the greatest potential; 'The Elites' as the school's headmaster had decided to put it. (Y/n) (L/n) didn't know whether to be ecstatic or homesick as soon as she entered the main doors. Among making new friends, settling in and living life, something else is simmering. . .Something just isn't right with that school.
Relationships: Alexios (Assassin's Creed)/Reader, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad/Reader, Anne Bonny/Reader, Arno Dorian/Reader, Bayek/Reader, Edward Kenway/Reader, Ezio Auditore da Firenze/Reader, Haytham Kenway/Reader, Jacob Frye/Reader, Kassandra (Assassin's Creed)/Reader, Mary Read/Reader, Ratonhnhaké:ton | Connor/Reader, Shay/Reader, Élise de la Serre/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	1. A Bright Opportunity

Clad in robes of deep red and gold, she waited in the shadow of the hidden door, peering through the crack of it being ajar, the hidden stone tunnel stretching out behind her. Her slim body was leaned back against the cold wall as she waited for her contact's company to leave the room. Once alone, she stepped silently out of the shadows and into the warm golden light that poured in through the polished windows, kissing the skin of the woman's face as soon as she pushed her hood down from her head and onto her shoulders.

"Your majesty." She addressed formally, kneeling down as she bowed her head towards the floor and placed a hand over her heart.

"Winifred, I take that your presence before me means you have something of importance?" The red-haired queen of England queried, waving off the alerted guards to lower their weapons before gesturing for the other woman to stand.

"Of course." Spoke the assassin, rising from her bow to pluck a letter from her pocket, the red wax seal already broken, she handed it over to her queen, "A plot by the Vatican - and I'm afraid that your cousin Mary may be involved too, Elizabeth."

"Thank you." The queen spoke, sucking down a breath as she thought of the gravity of the situation - yet another burden for the queen's already heavy shoulders, "Though, this only means more work for you, I need you to uncover if Mary truly is involved, I want to know exactly what powers are conspiring against me and my throne."

"I'll get right to it, your majesty."

LOADING ANIMUS DATA...

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(Y/n) opened her (e/c) orbs, her vision fuzzy from sleep. An irritated groan was pulled from her lips when she reached for her phone, her alarm blaring in her tired ears. It was six in the morning and her usual time to get up for school.

Her dream was quickly fading from her memory, all she could remember was seeing Queen Elizabeth I of England and an old-fashioned letter with a seal. "Proof that I'm passing history, I suppose." She grumbled to herself as she unlocked her phone to check all her social medias before she exited her plush bed. It was full of white fluffy blankets and pillows and shielded her body from the cold air that nipped at anything outside of her blankets. Her light grey walls stood tall around her in her rather plainly decorated bedroom - there wasn't much aside from her wardrobe and organised desk.

She quickly finished up checking all her messages before jumping out of bed and heading to the bathroom to relieve herself, wash her face and to brush her teeth, shivering gently at the cold temperature, all too eager to get back to her room where she could wrap herself in a blanket as she readied herself.

Upon returning to her room, she began dressing for the day of school that lie ahead, sitting on the floor in front of her full-length mirror to style her (h/l) (h/c) hair and do her usual makeup. As she went through her morning routine, she danced around a little to the music that was playing from her phone - mostly her favourite songs by Lana Del Rey with some Billie Eilish and some classics thrown into the playlist.

Once she was done, she headed downstairs to make herself a coffee to drink while she sat at the dining table doing any homework that was due in that week.

She was the only person in the house. The solitude never bothered her ever since she was young - her parents worked a lot and she never had much of a close relationship to them anyway. In fact, relationships weren't something she was accustomed to anyway - her parents' work meant that they moved house a lot so she never really managed to make friends or stay in touch with them either. But, she was perfectly content with her studies and happily sitting at the top of her classes.

She was one of those people that could never get enough - no matter what she did, there had to be more to get done. For every lesson, there would be another three to learn to push herself further. 'Why settle for less when you can be the best?' she would often say to herself whenever she took a little break from studying to browse the internet on her phone.

Once it was time to leave the house, she was pulling on a coat and slinging her bag over her shoulder, drinking down the last of her slowly cooling coffee.

Her walk was just like any other usual day, taking the paths beside the main road while her music accompanied her through the cold early-spring morning. She let out a sigh while her playlist shuffled in her headphones, blasting loudly in her ears. She passed familiar paths and roads, stopping at the same traffic lights. (Y/n) had the option to be driven to school by the family driver but she preferred the twenty minutes of morning air considering she didn't leave the house often enough.

When she arrived in school, she made her way towards the library where she pulled a notebook and textbook out of her bag, going over chemistry topics regarding balancing equations and relative atomic mass. Her music played softly in her ears now, music without vocals that would distract her if present in the song. This was how her day went: get to school and study, attend classes to study, sit studying at break, attend more classes to study, have a small break for a light snack and drink at lunch before studying then attend her final lesson to study. Once she got home, she'd sleep for a while then listen to music/ paint/ read a book before studying until dinner; after dinner, she'd have a bath and take some time to look after herself before going to bed.

(Y/n) could admit that a change in routine was all she longed for but she didn't know anything else. She had no friends to go out with and didn't really have anything interesting going on at all aside from family events. She wanted a change desperately but had no clue where to start - whenever she tried to mix things up, she'd always fall back into the same routine out of habit. When the bell went off, she packed her notebooks neatly away into her navy blue bag and tucked her phone into her pocket.

The approach of yet another repetitive day.

She sat through her first three lessons, her work at top standard and focus sharp as she pressed herself in her studies more and more. Her attention was following the video on the board that was explaining the use of tangent with angles of elevation and depression, noting down little features to keep in mind (all of which she already knew but noted it down nonetheless to show classwork) when a male teacher, who was escorting a female visitor, entered the classroom, making his way across the room to the teacher's desk. The (e/c)-eyed female had seen the grey-haired teacher around the school before and was rather sure he was one of the receptionists. She watched the hushed conversation quickly occur between the receptionist and maths teacher before the man straightened his back.

"(Y/n) Glacier, could you come with me please?" He spoke up, the student opened her mouth slightly, wondering why she had to be taken out of class.

"Do I need my bag?" She quizzed, reaching for the strap of the navy bag that rested by her feet.

"Yes, please," He spoke as he made his way back outside. (Y/n) quickly gathered her things and made her way outside, closing the door quietly behind her. Her (e/c) gaze managed to get a better look at the visitor. She was a woman in her late middle-ages with fair light brown hair and turquoise eyes. She wore a purple blazer and skirt with a white blouse and black heels.

"I'm not in trouble am I?" The student quizzed, she had no idea why she had been taken out and was beginning to grow worried that she might have done something; though, there was nothing that she was able to think of.

"On the contrary, dearie." The visitor spoke up as they walked towards a classroom, that was bare aside from the school's headmaster, where the three of them took a seat. The school's headmaster was a woman nearing being elderly with jet black hair that presented a few grey streaks. On her nose were thick-rimmed glasses and she wore a deep red blazer with a white blouse and a flowing black skirt that reached her ankles. She was a good headmaster and had been running the school for the good part of three decades from what (Y/n) had heard.

"Miss (L/n), this is Miss Pearl Attaway." The headmaster spoke, "She's a member of staff at Vermere Lake Grammar School and she's representing the board there that are searching for students to join seeing as it's a new establishment."

"Ok. . ." (Y/n) began slowly, "I suppose, to begin with, I'd like to ask: why me?" She began picking at a thread on her skirt under the table, finding herself to be rather nervous.

"Your grades are outstanding, (Y/n)." Pearl Attaway began, "We're looking for students with gifted minds like yours, you'd be a wonderful asset to the school."

"Where is this school?" The (s/t)-skinned student quizzed, wanting to know everything about it before she began to make up her mind on attending.

"The French countryside." The visitor replied. (Y/n) opened her mouth to speak but was cut off, "I know what you're thinking and I'm sure that the proposal of a boarding school comes as quite a shock but your parents have been spoken to and they both are in favour of you going and have left the final decision up to you." (Y/n) stopped to think. This choice was going to be far more difficult and impactful than she originally thought.

"I think that I'm going to need more time to make up my mind on this. . . I mean: France? A boarding school? I've never done anything like that before, I've never stayed away from my house unless I'm with family. . ." She looked down at her lap. This could be her chance to really advance in her studies! And the fact that they had sought her out specifically too! Would she be around more like-minded people?

"It's perfectly understandable if you want some time to think this over but I'm afraid that I'll be needing an answer before the end of the month," Pearl replied. That gave (Y/n) three weeks to make her big decision. The (h/c)-haired student turned to her headmaster.

"I know it's a lot to ask for but could I go home? I want to be somewhere where I can have some clear-headedness to think about this and I'd like to talk to my parents too. It's understandable for you to say no." She requested. The older woman tossed the idea around in her head for a moment.

"I'll have to contact your parents but I'm sure they'll allow you to return home." She smiled as she stood up, everyone else in the room following suit. The receptionist began leading Pearl away. However, the woman in purple paused on the threshold of the door.

"We hope that you'll choose to join us, (Y/n)." And with that said, she was around the corner and out of sight.

"If I may add my thoughts on this," The headmaster spoke up as she began leading (y/n) to her office in order to make a phone call to the student's parents, "I believe this is an excellent opportunity for you, I've seen your grades and your class books and I believe that this school cannot provide the facilities and teachings that you need to further your education. This would be perfect for you."

"I know. . ." (Y/n) began thoughtfully, "It's just the boarding school part that's making me hesitate. I've never been away from my family before." It was true that she was used to solitude but she was used to that in her own household, not in the countryside of another country surrounded by other people her age. She was certainly stuck on the fence. . .

The call was made and she was sent home, hence why she was laying on her bed of lightly coloured pillows and blankets, staring up at her white ceiling.

"This could be the change you want - no! - need! This could be your way to get a change in routine and press yourself to be the best! But it's so far away. . . And? You're not close to your family anyway, it's not like you can't call them for comfort if need be. You're not exactly leaving any friends behind either. . . What if you can make some friends there? If they're looking for people like you perhaps you can get on well with them. This could be the best decision of your life! Or the worst. . . Come on, you get to go to another country and attend an outstanding school! Don't let sentiment hold you back! It's a boarding school, I'm sure you can bring whatever you want to make yourself feel at home. Tell you what: let's do it! Let's go to this school! What have I got to lose? The worst thing that could happen is getting homesick." And so, she reached across the bed for her phone to contact her father who would tell Pearl Attaway that (Y/n) would be attending Vermere Lake.

For the first time in her life, the change she longed for was finally within reach.


	2. New Faces

She gazed out of the window of the moving car while it passed the green scenery. Green was everywhere, seemingly every shade of it. The closest town had been passed well over forty minutes ago as they continued down the private road that led to the school.

Her parents weren't with her, of course. She'd been accompanied by the family driver as her parents were busy working. As per usual.

Trees drowned out everything else, the road twisted around them and roots began reclaiming the edges of the concrete, taking back their land where their brothers and sisters had been torn down to allow room for the human passage.

Occasionally, her (e/c) eyes would catch a glimpse of a rabbit or a deer — birds were common too but far from being as interesting. A sigh left her lips as she twisted the cap of her water bottle, throwing her head back to finish off the last of the refreshing liquid, leaving behind only a few stubborn drops that never seemed to leave the bottle.

The road began to open up and there was a definite clearing up ahead. (Y/n) swerved her head to get a better look at the grand gates which fenced off the school's grounds. The road became a wide gravel path and there were well-kept trees, hedges and flower beds decorating the field at the front of the building.

The building itself was magnificent. A grand château with such intricate detail that (Y/n) was unsure whether she'd be able to memorise it all despite how long she would be staying inside for.

When she stepped inside, the foyer put the outer decor to shame. An exquisite chandelier hung high before the split staircase which wound upwards towards the upper floor that was separated by a series of balconies, giving the foyer a tremendously high ceiling of four floors.

The deep green wallpaper was decorated with intricate designs as was the dark brown wood that was polished to perfection.

(Y/n) marvelled, suitcase in hand, spinning slowly on the spot as she looked upwards, watching the chandelier sparkle, flaunting its own worth. It looked old but kept too; yet another factor to add to the value of it. 

The few boxes of her belongings were wheeled in on a trolley by the driver who placed them beside the staircase, giving his employers' daughter a quick nod of the head before leaving.

"Miss (L/n)!" A vaguely familiar voice greeted. (Y/n) lowered her gaze to see Miss Attaway descending the left staircase that curved inwards gradually to meet the base of the right staircase in a singular platform, two steps high. Between these two cases was a tall and very large marble pillar. "We're delighted to have you here!" Her smile faltered a little as she reached the final step, looking around. "Where are your parents?"

"Oh, they didn't come." She replied simply. She caught onto the pity in the vice principal's eyes but was bothered very little by it. She was used to her parents not being around after all.

"Not to see you off?" The teacher questioned, looking somewhat upset.

"Nope," (Y/n) replied simply. There was nothing else to say regarding the subject.

"Well alright then. . ." She composed herself quickly, smoothing down her skirt and straightening her back. "Welcome to Vermere Lake Grammar School. We're delighted to have you studying here alongside other hand-picked students." Her hand swept around the room. "I hope you find yourself comfortable enough here, I've been told by a few students here that they may take time to adjust to such luxuries but I believe a young lady like yourself shouldn't find that too difficult. It's simple to be at ease among such finery."

"I've been looking for a change in routine for a while. It's not a problem at all, the unfamiliarity is quite the comfort really." The (e/c)-eyed female assured her.

"Good, good." Pearl clapped her hands together, "Now, before I give you your room number and key (for privacy from other students) I have to tell you that you'll be sharing with some other students. We advise not unpacking for a while just to make sure you get along with everyone — if not, then we'll rearrange the room plans." She paused for a moment. "The girls' wing is to the left, the boys' is to the right. You're allowed to visit each other's rooms but not after curfew. Your uniform is already in your room. However, there's one rule that I'm sure you won't be particularly happy with: we don't allow phones here. You can use the school's phone to make calls home but mobiles are only allowed at the end of each term."

(Y/n)'s face had noticeably dropped at this. She depended on her phone for many aspects of her studies and was not about to hand it over.

"That's alright, I didn't bring it anyway." She lied.

"You didn't?" Miss Attaway looked shocked.

"No, I don't really have any friends to message and I figured that I would just use the school's phone to call my parents anyway." She prayed that she wouldn't get a notification or call of any kind during the conversation.

"Fair enough." Pearl seemed to believe the lie, after all, the logic made sense to (Y/n)'s character. "Well, you're in room one with three other girls." She held out her hand, "Here's your key."

(Y/n) took the small piece of metal that was attached to a blue plastic tag. Pearl left and she looked down at her bag and boxes of belongings before glancing up to the flight of stairs, sighing. But, it had to be done so she hefted her large suitcase up with great effort and set it by the banister at the top before jogging down to grab one of her boxes. A pair of heavier footsteps matched hers from the other side of the pillar. When she reached the base of the stairs, she was met by an incredibly tall, bronze-skinned boy who looked to be only slightly older than herself.

"Hi." He greeted in an American accent. It was heavy and yet there was something different to it, something about the tone in his voice that implied English wasn't his first language and yet he had mastered it to the point that the accent of his mother tongue was utterly hidden, "I'm Connor." He flashed a quick yet soft smile before glancing down at (Y/n)'s belongings. "Would you like a hand?"

"If you don't mind?" She replied, somewhat guiltily yet not wanting to deny a helping hand. They both reached for a box each. "I'm (Y/n) by the way."

"Nice to meet you." He spoke as they carefully made their way upwards, being sure to not trip seeing as the boxes blocked their view. (Y/n) found herself struggling a little but judging by the look of ease on Connor's face and the size of his arms, this was a simple task to him.

"So, have you managed to have a look around yet?" (Y/n) prompted a conversation as they descended to stairs to fetch the last two boxes.

"Just my room." The American answered, "Two of my roommates are here already: a British guy called Jacob and an Italian called Ezio — it seems like a really diverse school." He pointed out.

"Indeed." (Y/n) agreed as she hefted up the box in her hands, almost dropping it as her fingers slipped and she lost her grip. However, Connor quickly reached forward and caught it. Panic over.

"Careful." He warned gently, allowing (Y/n) to reclaim the box in her arms while uttering out a 'thank you'. She thanked him properly at the top of the stairs before the two of them parted. (Y/n) was on her own in carrying her belongings to her room now.

She hefted one of the heavier cardboard boxes in her arms, supporting the bottom out of fear it may rip, before proceeding to room one.

She pushed the door open with her foot and was greeted by an unfamiliar face. The girl was brown-haired, green-eyed and pale-skinned. She styled her tresses into two Dutch braids and a low bun with a few pieces falling in front of her face (which was splashed with freckles) she was slim with a few soft curves here and there. She wore some messy (yet sophisticated) eye makeup.

"Hey, I'm Evie Frye." She greeted with a beaming smile. (Y/n) returned the friendly gesture and dropped her box carefully at the side of a bed which was tucked into the far-right corner side-on against a window.

There were three windows in the room, two small ones that stretched up tall on the left and right-hand sides of the room and a large one that ran along the middle of the room, leaving a metre gap between the smaller windows — this large one also stretched high up.

There was another bed in the left corner in front of the door with the foot of the bed facing whoever walked in. A third bed was lined up against the large window in the middle of the room, hugging the wall side-on while the fourth bed was hugging the wall that held the door with the foot of the bed facing whoever walked in. The beds themselves were twin-sized, not too big nor too small.

An armoire was built into the close right corner of the room, forming an 'L' shape. Each bed had an old-styled container chest at the foot of it for the belongings of whoever slept there.

(Y/n) took in the old-fashioned blood red rug that ran along the length of the room down the middle, standing out against the polished wooden floorboards.

Evie had chosen the bed on the south wall to the right of the door when one walked in judging by the box that rested on the mattress. A bookshelf ran along the wall beside Evie's bed but was mostly empty bar a small collection on the middle shelf. (Y/n) assumed they belonged to her roommate.

There were two chaise lounges in the room: one in front of the bookcase and the other between (Y/n)'s bed and the one that rested against the wider window.

"(Y/n) (L/n)." She introduced.

"So, do you know anyone here?" The Brit prompted a conversation as she began unpacking her clothes, walking behind the changing screen in front of the armoire to begin filling it with her clothing.

"No. No one else from my school was requested to attend here. What about you?" She spoke as she began making her way back across the spacious room to collect the rest of her things from the top of the stairs.

"I'm here with my little twin brother Jacob and my boyfriend Henry." The freckled female replied.

"Oh, the guy that helped me to get my things upstairs (Connor) mentioned he was sharing a room with Jacob. Wait, you're a twin?" (Y/n) highlighted.

Evie turned around with a cheeky grin. "The older twin of us and I'm never going to let him forget it." She giggled, (Y/n) joined in the little moment of laughter.

"Alright, I'll be back in a minute, I'm going to get another box of my things." (Y/n) did as such and, trip after trip, brought all of her belongings into her room. She jumped onto the silver sheets of her bed, exhausted from lifting all those heavy boxes. By this time, Evie was almost completely unpacked and had begun to place her last few belongings into the chest at the end of her bed when someone else walked in.

She had straightened blonde hair and striking red lips along with an irritated and bitchy look on her expression. Most of her outfit was designer and the clothing seemed a little off for the overcast weather in the countryside, like she was more accustomed to hotter weather. She had a suitcase in one hand and a male with dark hair and a little stubble to match held a large crate of belongings in his arms.

(Y/n) sat up to inspect them.

"And you two are?" She asked in a rude tone with a Latin-rooted accent accompanying her voice. Was that Italian or Spanish?

"Evie Frye." The Brit spoke up, giving the blonde a weary look before gesturing over to (Y/n), "(Y/n) (L/n)."

"I'm Lucrezia Borgia but I'm sure you've already heard that I'm attending." She smirked as she stepped into the room, inspecting her red acrylic nails while the olive-skinned male behind her dropped her other belongings on the floor beside her.

"Actually, we don't exactly have reputations here yet." (Y/n) contributed, sitting up cross-legged on the bed. The blonde narrowed her eyes at this.

"Well here's mine: I'm at the top here. No-one undermines me, understood?"

"Look, I don't know who you are and frankly I couldn't care less about all this big talk and trying to flex by wearing every designer item you have on your first day." (Y/n) spoke bluntly. She came from a wealthy family too and easily could have done the same to flaunt such but had chosen not to; it simply wasn't in her nature, "I'm here to learn, not to play High School Musical fantasies, alright?" Neither of the two newcomers seemed to like this.

"You'll learn how it works one way or another." The man spoke up.

"And you are?" (Y/n) asked.

"Cesare Borgia." He spoke with a flirtatious smile, something about his presentation was unsettling. He radiated arrogance and self-destructive ambition.

"I'm not staying here. I'm going to switch." Lucrezia huffed as she wheeled her suitcase out the door, her brother following with the crate of her other belongings.

Evie watched them leave with an exhausted look. "What a handful." She muttered, "I'm glad o see that you don't take rubbish from anyone."

"I'll never understand people like that," (Y/n) added, sliding off her bed, "I don't really know any other way to react, really. I've never seen the point in all these social expectations, not to get too philosophical, I'm just used to my own company." It was clear now that this was her room and if there were any disagreements, the other party would be leaving, therefore, she began to unpack her things, beginning with dumping all her books out onto the bed to get them out of the way.

" 'A sensible man ought to find sufficient company in himself'." Evie quoted, eyeing her copy of Wuthering Heights.

"You know, I've always been keen on that line." (Y/n) smiled, glad to know they were very like-minded.

LOADING ANIMUS DATA...

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While (Y/n) was filling the bookshelf with her own selection of fiction, historical biographies and Victorian literature, two other girls entered the room.

One was a dark-skinned woman with equally dark and alluring hazel eyes framed by thick lashes and paired with full lips. She had medium-length hair in beautiful thick box braids. She seemed to have a friendly and approachable manner. She wore a loose yellow jumper with ripped denim jeans and a thick black belt.

The other was a short olive-toned female with shimmering grey-brown eyes and curly dark brown hair with rose-tinted lips and an air of confidence around her. Her fashion was rebellious — striking red plaid trousers with a black leather belt and a black band hoodie with red detailing.

"Hi, Lucrezia and Anne were supposed to be in here but we spoke it over with the two of them so we're going to be staying here instead." The darker female spoke up in a western French accent. "I'm Aveline de Grandpre and this is-" She let her friend finish.

"-Claudia Auditore." She spoke with a confident smile, she tossed her red rucksack onto the bed opposite the door, leaving Aveline with the bed by the widest window. "Do you two know each other already?" She gestured between (Y/n) and Evie.

"Oh, no, we just met." Evie answered, "What about you two?"

"Again, we only just met but I think we're all going to get along well." The Italian replied, "I know a few people here already: Ezio (he's my older brother) and Cesare and Lucrezia (believe me, they make snakes seem like better friends)."

"Oh, we briefly spoke to them." (Y/n) contributed, dropping onto the chaise between hers and Aveline's bed, "We caught onto that much soon enough."

"I know Connor, we were friends when we were little," Aveline added.

"Oh, I met Connor earlier." (Y/n) smiled, "He seems really sweet, he helped me to carry my things upstairs." Aveline smiled at this, recalling his soft and kind behaviour.

"My twin brother goes here too." Evie joined in, "His name's Jacob."

"Oh, I think Ezio was talking to him earlier." Claudia piped up, "Scar on his eyebrow, short hair?"

"Yep, that's him," Evie confirmed.

"The boys have had an argument already," Aveline spoke up. "Three of them kicked Cesare out of their room so now he has a spare room all to himself." She chuckled.

"Not surprised at all," Claudia spoke up, flopping onto the bed before groaning. "I want my phone back!"

(Y/n) considered telling them that she still had hers but decided against it. She would wait to see if she could trust them first. Until then, it would remain hidden in her bag on do not disturb.

"Yeah, I met a few people in Claudia's brother's room." Aveline continued, "Ezio, Jacob and Arno (he says he's from France but you wouldn't think it at hearing his voice) — Connor's in there with them in room one. They all seem to get along well."

"Perhaps the number's a blessing." (Y/n) joked, "If you're in room one, you all get on."

There was shouting down the hall, the girls all look to one another before poking their heads out of the door rather comically with one head above another.

"Maláka! That girl is insufferable!" A girl with an odd accent exclaimed while Lucrezia huffed and returned to her room at the end of the corridor. She'd most likely just given her 'queen bee' speech again.

The one who yelled had tanned skin, decorated with scars, that stretched over defined muscles. Her hair was pulled into a fishtail over her shoulder and decorated with a cord wrapped around it.

"She's a bitch, don't give her any attention." Claudia piped up, snagging her attention. The woman smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind." She grinned, glad that the blonde didn't have an army of pestering followers seeing as she acted as such. "I'm Kassandra."

"Claudia." The social butterfly of an Italian replied, "This is: Aveline, Evie and (Y/n)." She pointed to each girl in turn who all waved.

"Nice to meet you all." She smiled. Another girl walked out of her room. She was dark-skinned with honey brown eyes and box braids that were tied over her shoulder.

"Hey, I'm Aya." She spoke in a lilted tone. She still had her coat on.

"Cold?" Evie prompted, pointing to the clothing.

"I'm from Egypt, it's colder than winter here." She sighed.

"Tell me about it, I'm from Italy," Claudia spoke, walking out into the corridor.

"Greece." Kassandra contributed.

"England. I'm used to it." Evie shrugged.

"(Y/o)," (Y/n) added.

"America." Aveline finished. That was a lot of diversity.

"It's nice that we're getting along." Aya said, "I was expecting more bitchy girls like her." She gestured to the room that Lucrezia was in.

"I can hear you!" The blonde yelled from inside her room.

"That's the point!" Kassandra called back. The girls all laughed at this.

"To the year ahead of us." Kassandra smiled as she walked back into her room, all the others doing the same.

(Y/n) felt her lips tug up in a smile at all the friendly new faces around her and the obvious shift in her life. It unnerved yet excited her all at once and, for the first time ever, she was eager to meet all these new people and get to know them.

This really was the change that she had been needing.


	3. Rooftop Talks

Every student was gathered in the hall. (Y/n) looked around oddly, taking a mental headcount. There were only twenty-five students. That was one class. 

They had just met the principal, Crawford Starrick who was standing on a podium and had just announced that they were allowed to have their first day to themselves in order to familiarise themselves with the building and the grounds. Perfectly timed, he asked if anyone had any questions. A few hands went up, along with (Y/n)'s. 

"So, do we get to go out on the weekends at all?" Asked a boy who looked strikingly similar to Evie. (Y/n) concluded that this must be her twin, Jacob. 

"If you're willing to make the walk." The principal replied. (Y/n)'s brows shot up, recalling how long the drive had been through the woods; she couldn't imagine walking that distance. She was called on next. 

"Is this everyone? I mean, it's only one class unless we're being split into two smaller classes." She pointed out her observation. 

"Each student here is handpicked for success." The reactions to this were a mix of straightening backs with pride and scoffing with doubt, "We want you all to achieve your very best and thought a singular class would better achieve that." He explained. (Y/n) nodded her head of (h/c) tresses but something about it felt odd. Just one class? Then again, it could be down to the school being new and having to prove its worth before it could accept more students. "Kassandra." He called on the Greek who had her hand up. 

"So what aren't we allowed to do?" She questioned, not wanting to get into an argument with staff over something she didn't know. 

"Break curfew, start fights, truant, steal, fail to hand in assigned tasks on time, disobey staff, have mobile phones." She smiled sweetly once he was done speaking. 

"Ok." Was her simple answer. (Y/n) squinted her eyes at her slightly. She seemed far too happy with that answer. Why was she smiling so much? Why did her eyes light up? 

With no more questions left, they were dismissed. (Y/n) made her way over to Kassandra, curious. The Greek grabbed her hand and went running down the hall. A few other students watched this, curious before looking to their peers and shrugging, running after them. 

When Kassandra finally stopped, they were standing at the top of a staircase by a set of old rusty doors. (Y/n) turned around to see that they had company. Claudia, Aveline and two other boys who (Y/n) didn't know were all behind Kassandra and herself. 

There was a loud creak and snap. Kassandra had kicked the door open, breaking the worn-down lock inside while keeping the doors intact. There was glass on the outside of the metal framing but it was so overgrown with moss that it was difficult to see what was outside. Was this some sort of balcony? 

As soon as the doors were opened, it was revealed to be the roof. They all walked out onto it, chattering among themselves while (Y/n) made her way to the edge of the far wall. She could see the lake that gave Vermere Lake Grammar School its name. It was off in the distance, past the extravagant gardens and field with a few layers of trees blocking it from the view if you were on the ground. It appeared to be a clearing in the middle of the sea of green trees and it had a stream trickling into it.

(Y/n) took the opportunity to look around the area from the higher viewpoint which she stood on. Trees and trees and trees covered the hills around the school. The colour was quickly becoming sickening to look at everywhere she turned.

Her (e/c) orbs flickered to the gardens and the sports field. She prayed that she wouldn't have to participate in any form of physical education. She had always been far more academic than athletic and saw it as a waste of her time - she could be studying something far more useful in her opinion. The gardens were wonderful and defined by tidy white-gravel paths. The hedges and trees were trimmed to perfection and the colourful pop of the flowerbeds were a nice change from the constant, droning green. There were statues scattered in a grid among the gardens and a large fountain stood proudly in the epicentre of it all. The water was running, putting on a repetitive show, sunlight reflecting off the water and making it sparkle, while statues of cherub angels and mermaids were in the centre. It was a very flamboyant school, indeed.

She shuffled a little closer to the edge before a pair of hands carefully held her sides in a tight, yet cautious, grip which caused her to jolt slightly with surprise.

"Careful, don't fall." A male voice spoke from behind her. She turned around to see that it was a boy with long brown hair which he had swept back into a ponytail and tied with red satin. His skin was softly sunkissed and he had rich brown eyes with golden tones glimmering amongst them. A scar ran over one of his cheeks and crept onto the bridge of his nose slightly. He wore a deep blue high-necked jumper which defined his torso and was tucked into a pair of black trousers which were accompanied by a black Louis Vuitton belt and black suede boots. She took a step from the edge, which inevitably brought her body closer to his, before making her way past him.

She flashed a shy smile, blushing a little at how he'd held her hips, "Thank you." She managed out before making her way over to Claudia and Aveline seeing as she knew them the best. She thought over leaving so abruptly like that. Perhaps he wanted to get to know the other students here too - after all, most people here didn't know one another. She found herself feeling odd and liking how touchy some of the other students were - the way Kassandra had grabbed her hand, the way that boy had grabbed her sides, etcetera. She never got much affection from her parents and never had any friends to give her any either. She quite liked the contact. It was unfamiliar yet comforting.

What unnerved her though, was the realisation that she was so touch-starved that she was enjoying this from people that she hardly knew. It was quite a shocking sudden realisation, really; something that she didn't want to admit to so she pushed the thought away. She would be getting to know them all soon enough anyway, right? Well, aside from Cesare and Lucrezia. She didn't plan on associating herself with those two.

She hadn't even been here for a whole day and she was already finding out things about herself that she had failed to notice in the past. It only made her lap up all these new changes even more, finally free of that old routine which she was constantly restrained by back at her home.

(Y/n) watched as a blonde male student went running for the lake, followed by an olive-skinned boy who resembled Kassandra a lot.

"Oh, I think they're going to jump in." She pointed out as she gestured her hand towards the two students that were sprinting across the sports field and making a beeline for the lake.

"Of course he is." The Greek girl sighed, a smile on her lips as she watched one of the two boys in particular. "The taller one's my little brother, Alexios; but, a lot of his friends call him Deimos." She paused for a while, her smile lingering as she witnessed her brother and the blonde student strip of as many layers as they could (while staying decent) before plunging off the small pier and into the cold water, "I never liked his friends back home, they were terrible for him. If he's mean to you: don't take it to heart." She rested a hand on (Y/n)'s shoulder to express her sincerity, "Those friends of his made him an asshole but I'm hoping that he will change now that he's not around them anymore. Mater hopes so too."

"Are you here for a change too?" The (h/c)-haired female prompted, wanting to get her own story across in the process.

"Because I tried to defend him from his friends, I ended up making a lot of enemies back at home." Shrugged, "I've always been one to punch first and ask questions later." (Y/n)'s eyes roved over Kassandra's arms to see how muscular she was. She definitely seemed like she would win a fight. "I suppose I'm looking to try and change myself in that aspect - learn to negotiate. But I know it won't happen overnight." She laughed at herself.

"I mostly accepted the application here because I wanted a change and I don't really have anyone at home." (Y/n) expressed, "I'd wake up and go to my school where I never had any friends, study all break and lunch, go home to paint or read for half an hour, study until dinner then get in the shower and go to sleep." She explained, "I was always home alone a lot because my parents work all the time. I've never been close to them. . . They didn't even drop me off at the airport. . . The family driver was the only one with me. . ." She spoke nonchalantly but Kassandra looked liked like she was on the verge of heartbreak.

For the Greek girl, her family was one of the most important things in her life, her source of happiness. It made her sad to know that her classmate didn't have anyone at all in the world.

"Well, you have friends now." She beamed, throwing an arm around her shoulder, "A lot of people here seem to like you already." Her gaze went back to her brother and the other student who were still swimming in the cold water and her lips tugged into a frown, "He's going to get sick if he stays in there too long. . . I should go get him." And with that, she left and (Y/n) made her way over to Claudia who was standing under a large greenhouse which was on the roof, gesticulating a lot with her hands while Aveline, the boy in blue from earlier, and the other guy were all paying attention to her.

". . . Just imagine it!" She spoke expressively, "Some lights, some chairs, pillows and blankets! If we clean up the glass and the floor and maybe add a few little flowerpots and trinkets on the shelves, this could be an awesome hangout! And, judging by the doors on the way up here, no one comes up here, so we can keep it as a thing between people we like."

"That's quite a cool idea, actually," Aveline spoke from where she was standing inside the rather large greenhouse but a frown tugged at her full lips, "But it would be nicer with some music."

"I bought my guitar with me." The boy that (Y/n) had yet to meet raised his hand in contribution. He had an Italian accent which made (Y/n)'s eyes flicker between him and Claudia, making note of their similarities. She concluded that this was Ezio, Claudia's brother. He, like the other boy, suited long brown hair which was tied back - but he had shorter parts that fell loose and framed his angular face neatly. He wore a white hoodie with dark red joggers and white trainers. She wondered why he was dressed so casually until she realised that he and his sister must have had to wake up early to catch the plane and he would have wanted to be comfortable for the journey.

"I'm going to miss my music - I really hate this 'no phones' rule." The one who (Y/n) had briefly spoken to earlier piped up, "I mean, in a controlled environment like a boarding school, they're not exactly going to get in the way of us learning." He shrugged as he leaned against the glass, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Good point." (Y/n) agreed. Ezio turned his eyes to her, not having noticed her before. The Italian raised one of his brows in amusement, a flirtatious and teasing smile tugging at his scarred lips.

"You're quiet." He pointed out.

"Oh, leave her alone, stronzo. She's not one of your easy girls back home and I don't want you sleeping with my friends." Claudia snapped at her older brother, placing her hands on her hips to try and show her authority. Her older brother smiled at this while (Y/n)'s (e/c) eyes widened.

"Whoa, that escalated quickly." She held up her hands, shocked at how the conversation had gone from him teasing her about being quiet to Claudia telling him to not try it on with her.

"Oh, believe me, it would have escalated either way." The female Auditore rolled her chestnut eyes, "I'm sure that as soon as he said that, he would have mentioned something about getting you to moan loudly." She shot an accusing gaze at her brother who tossed his head around, considering his answer with a playful smile.

"Guilty." He confessed, his eyes going back to (Y/n) who felt quite singled out. The other boy clicked his tongue.

"Talking dirty to a girl as soon as you meet her isn't going to get her in your bed." He corrected.

"It isn't?" Ezio shot back, "Oh please, master seducer Arno, share your knowledgable ways with me?" (Y/n) could briefly recall Aveline mentioning this Arno earlier. He was French but didn't sound it, she had said. (Y/n) took a moment to realise that she had been right and that out of everyone she'd met thus far, he was the closest to home.

"Alright, we're leaving." Aveline rolled her eyes, amusement playing on her lips as Claudia followed her and she took (Y/n) by the arm to lead her away as well, "We don't want any part of your guy talk."

"Is your brother always like that?" The (e/c)-eyed female asked Claudia.

"Yes." Was her blunt reply, "But don't misinterpret him; he respects women a lot even though he sleeps with all the pretty ones he sees. When my ex cheated on me, he broke his nose and when his ex got a new boyfriend, he made sure that he'd be good to her with a heavy threat."

"That's. . . violent but also incredibly sweet?" (Y/n) laughed while she glanced over her shoulder to where Arno and Ezio were having an in-depth discussion about the best way to seduce a woman. She rolled her eyes before following Aveline back downstairs, hoping that she wasn't still the topic of their conversation.

She decided that she wanted to explore the school building.


	4. New Beginnings

(Y/n) woke to the sound of the room's clock ringing. The loud noise made her jolt awake, unused to the volume compared to her own quieter phone alarm. She buried her face in her fluffy blanket before peeling it away from her features when the ringing stopped. She glanced to the other side of the room to see that Evie had been the one to get out of bed and turn it off. Six in the morning.

"Me réveillez à sept heures," Aveline mumbled, rolling onto her stomach and falling back asleep.

"What?" Evie furrowed her brows.

"Wake her up in an hour." (Y/n) translated as she sat up and ran her hand through her hair, gazing out of her window to see the mist that hung low over the green forest. She glanced to her few succulent plants on the windowsill and smiled softly before getting up.

Today was their first academic day at the school. They'd been handed their schedules at dinner the previous day along with directions to the classes. She threw her hair up messily with a scrunchie, yawning before sitting in front of the floor-length mirror, lugging a small makeup bag with her as she sat on the fluffy rug.

"I don't like getting ready without music," Claudia grumbled, making her way behind the dressing screen. Not wanting to selfishly keep the mirror all to herself, (Y/n) was quick in applying her makeup, keeping it simple. The (y/o) girl stretched before pulling the scrunchie out of her hair and brushing it in order to style it for the day, settling on a parting down the middle and two french braids. She got up to let the other girls use the mirror - Evie being quick to take the spot in order to apply her usual dark eyeshadow.

(Y/n) stepped behind the dressing screen to pull on a pair of tights; the grey and white plaid skirt, which was part of the uniform, a white button-up shirt and an oversized red jumper which she tucked into the skirt. She slipped on a simple pair of flats and grabbed her washbag to make her way to the bathroom, glancing to the still-sleeping Aveline as she left to find the girls' bathroom.

When she got there, (Y/n) was briefly greeted by Kassandra, who was drying her hair, and she spotted a red-haired girl fixing up her hair in the mirror, still in her pyjamas.

She made her way over to the sink to brush her teeth before leaving to go make sure someone had woken Aveline. On her way back, she spotted a dark-skinned woman with almond eyes and beautiful silky black braids.

"Is that the bathroom you just came out of?" She asked in an American accent.

"Uh, yes." She replied, "Which room are you in? I'm in room one, I'm (Y/n)." She introduced herself.

"Room three with Élise, Lucy and Lucrezia. You can call me Ziio." She replied with a warm smile.

"Lucrezia? I feel sorry for you." She laughed lightly.

"As do I." The Native American girl replied, "It was nice to meet you." She finished before heading off to the bathroom. When (Y/n) got back, she found that Aveline was stumbling around the room, pulling her ankle boots on and fully dressed.

"Wow, I wish that I could get dressed that quickly," (Y/n) spoke up, smiling.

"Believe me, it's a blessing when you're running late... or just not a morning person." She laughed out in her thick French accent that hung like a rich smoke in (Y/n)'s ears. The (e/c) eyed female decided to head downstairs, frowning at the poorly-written guide to the dining hall. She figured that she would run into another confused student on the way and they would be able to navigate the way together.

She trod lightly down the curved stairs and settled on making a left down the corridor when she was stopped by a voice:

"Dining hall's that way!" The rough yet smiling voice called out from the stairs behind her. (Y/n) turned around to spot the boy who she had presumed was Evie's brother yesterday.

"Oh, thanks." She quirked up a smile as he made his way beside her, the two of them silently agreeing to walk there together. "Just to clarify, you're Jacob, right?"

"My reputation proceeds me." He puffed out his chest a little, a joking tone edging his voice.

"Your twin does, actually. Evie's in my room." She explained briefly, "She's really kind."

"Right up until you have to live with her." He replied with humour, making (Y/n) chuckle a little.

"I wouldn't know. I'm an only child." She replied, "It must be nice to have someone all the time at least." The ebony-haired female offered.

He seemed to ponder over it for a moment, "We argue a lot, but... I still love her at the end of the day." He shrugged, keeping it simple. (Y/n) spotted Arno and Ezio in the doorway of the dining hall; they seemed to be getting on well. "Ah!" Jacob burst out, making them turn around, "My Rooks!"

"We're not making a gang and we're not calling it the Rooks." Arno pointed a finger at Jacob, his eyes slightly dark and a book clutched in his free hand. (Y/n) let out a small gasp upon seeing it, holding her palm up to her mouth after realising she had made the noise out loud and not in her head. The trio of boys shot her an odd look.

"Sorry, I just really like that book." She gestured to the one in Arno's hand: Stung with Love, "You don't seem like a fan of Sappho." She felt a little bad after spotting how slowly he reacted, clearly exhausted.

"Uh, yeah, I like literature a lot, especially plays and poetry. I have a big library at home." He shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I didn't have my phone to check this morning so I guess that I'm getting more of my books read and reread while I'm here

"You seem so tired, bless. Want to get a coffee?"

"Best words I've heard all morning." He replied as he followed her inside, "I've always had trouble sleeping and it doesn't help that I'm not a morning person." He spoke as he made a beeline for a hot drinks machine that seemed almost out of place in such an old building. At least it was convenient.

"I'm usually terrible in the mornings, myself. I think it's just the excitement of being somewhere new that has me in such an energetic mood." She reasoned, more so with herself than with him.

He hummed lowly, "It doesn't help that Ezio talks in his sleep... a lot. The worst part is I can only understand half of it."

"What? Does he speak in Italian?" Arno hummed in approval, "It's got some similarities with French though, I've seen a lot." She agreed, grabbing a bowl and filling it with some fruit.

"You speak French?" He perked up at this.

"I had a lot of time back home so I started learning it," She explained as he grabbed a few slices of toast while she took her turn on the machine, making herself a cup of tea. Loud voices sounded from down the corridor as the two of them took a seat, (Y/n)'s eyes flickered down the corridor to spot the two boys that had jumped in the lake yesterday. She knew Alexios - Kassandra's brother - but not the blonde boy.

"I will forever be jealous of people with that much energy this early in the morning," Arno spoke between sips of coffee while (Y/n) watched them race into the, previously quiet, dining hall.

"Who's the blonde one?" She asked.

"Edward. Welsh, I think - he's in the room next to mine. I think I saw him jump in the lake yesterday." He added with a scoff as he picked up a slice of toast. (Y/n) popped a strawberry in her mouth as someone new slid into the seat beside her. He had dark, rich skin and cropped hair with eyes such a light brown that they seemed to glow amber. He had full lips that were split by a scar, much like Ezio's. He smelled strongly of smoky cedar and mint.

"You seem like the quiet people and I've already had to deal with those two being loud all morning." He groaned, seemingly only having a cup of coffee for breakfast, judging by the mug in his hand. He had a low middle-eastern accent accompanying his voice that was still thick with sleep.

"I mean, you're not wrong." She shrugged, biting down on an apple slice, "I'm (Y/n), by the way, and this is Arno." She introduced. He shot her a sidelong glance that wasn't mean nor kind.

"I didn't sit here to talk." He spoke, sipping his coffee and glancing around the room.

"Oh... ok." She replied, a little taken aback but completely understanding all at once. She had been that way with the people at her old school, after all. She picked up her mug of tea and took a sip, looking to Arno only to see that his interest laid with the book which he had now opened.

(Y/n) looked around the room to see Kassandra and Aya shooting her cheeky looks at sitting with two boys already, she raised a brow and shot them a disbelieving look, holding back a laugh at their teasing immaturity as she picked up another strawberry.

Breakfast passed soon enough and they were heading to their first class: history. (Y/n) took her seat by the back of the room but not too far that there would be an excessive amount of people in the way. She settled herself in her seat and pulled a pen out of her pocket, leaning on her hand as she watched the class filter into the room. Almost everyone seemed reluctant to take a seat beside someone, the room full of unfamiliar faces. This left (Y/n) having the desk to herself, at least, until the chair beside her was pulled out and a taller figure fell down into the seat.

She glanced over to see that it was Kassadra's brother, Alexios. He gave her a quick look, eyes glancing between her and the teacher.

"Alexios, right?" She spoke up, not wanting to sit in awkward silence for the entirety of the lesson. That certainly seemed to dampen his mood, brows falling low over his eyes.

"Deimos, actually." He corrected, looking her up and down, seeming to think for a moment. "Are you going to leave your hair like that?"

"Like what?" She replied quickly, offence and self-consciousness taking over her tone.

"Like that." He gesticulated with his hand before turning to face the front. Perhaps her emotions were too evident on her face - a pinched brow or a pout, maybe her fingers twisting a hairband around her wrist - because Kassandra came over to crouch by her desk, taking advantage of Alexios having his back turned while he spoke to Edward.

"Don't take anything he says to heart, he's doing it to try and upset you. Please, just give him a chance, he's here to change. He's not around those málakes friends of his anymore, I know he can go back to the way he used to be." She pleaded softly before going back to her chosen desk beside Aya. (Y/n) glanced over to Alexios, Kassandra's words spinning in her mind. He had no friends here yet, none of them did, really; he would realise the fault in his ways sooner or later and become friendlier, she figured.

A teacher made his way to the front of the room: A tanned man with cropped brown hair. He had an apathetic face with a large scar over one side and wore an old-fashioned cravat with his shirt.

"Come and collect your notebooks from the front. I'm going to tell you about the course we give here and we'll go straight to work." He spoke as he turned to the board and picked up a pen, writing the date. Everyone rose from their seats to collect a blank notebook from the front.

"Grab me one." Alexios nodded his head on (Y/n)'s direction.

"I would if you asked a bit nicer." She huffed as she got up, feeling his sour look on her back before he stood to fetch it for himself. He took his seat beside her once more, shooting her a side-long glance as he tried to mentally assess her, watching her keep her focus on what was happening at the front of the room, filling in the front of her notebook. Giving up on trying to figure her out, he huffed and leaned back in his seat.

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The next few lessons passed similarly; though not all of them were spent beside a brooding Alexios, (Y/n)'s English lesson had been spent next to Élise. The two of them got along well, discussing Les Misérables and comparing the English and French versions which they were both familiar and unfamiliar with.

They chose to continue their conversation into break, strolling through the gardens together and eventually sitting on the side of the fountain. The cherubs and mermaids in the centre of the display stood frozen in some sort of mysterious dance which only they knew as the water rose and fell around them.

Élise could easily stir envy in the girls around her, she was utterly beautiful: gently curled hair like the flames of a bonfire in November spent among friends, dazzling blue eyes like a Summer's sky, perfect clear and porcelain skin and a figure that every model desired. Not to mention, from what (Y/n) had learned of her, she was intelligent, confident and kind.

"I think we should explore the grounds later." She suggested as she looked over her shoulder to the line of trees, "See what's beyond the lake perhaps. Surely this château can't be the only thing around here?"

"Are you sure?" (Y/n) followed her gaze, "We could get lost."

"Not if we don't go too far. I think it'll be fun!" The Frenchwoman seemed to buzz with excitement, "And we can bring some more people with us. Have you met Arno yet?" (Y/n) nodded her head, recalling their exchanges on the roof yesterday and at breakfast that morning.

"Yeah, he seems nice." She replied, "And I'm sure Claudia would be up for some exploring, perhaps Evie?"

"Perfect!" Élise beamed, "We'll do it after today's classes!"


End file.
